May 28, 2009

I'm happy to point to the first review (of which I'm aware) of Reasonable and Holy. You can find it at A Feather Adrift. Sherry says, among other things:

I suspect that it will go down as one of the “classics” in the field, and will be used by countless colleges and universities as a primary text for discussion. I know that it has served me well in deeply enlightening me on the nuances of argument to be made. I have always felt slightly unsatisfied by the arguments so far, and Tobias has given me a real sense of feeling grounded in truth here.

It can serve as well for a text in our various churches when and if we choose to address the issue. And I submit, that we must address it. We are faced with a deep unfairness here. Our lesbian and gay sisters and brothers are enormous assets to our ecclesial life, and we squander their gifts and talents at our peril. It is what Jesus would do I submit. This book helps us get where we need to be, and does so with gentle tenderness.

12 comments:

Fr Gregory
said...

This appears to be a slim paperback that should make easy reading. Except that it doesn’t. Fr Tobias has written one of those increasingly rare (and annoying!) books that inspires questioning and demands reflection. Every time I begin to read more of it I find myself stalled at a word, a phrase, a question which requires thoughtful consideration, even some research in other works or, worse, some serious critical thinking. It’s not at all the standard theologically and historically quasi- or semi- or totally illiterate case for the prosecution or the defence which the subject usually seems to inspire. Nor, like the standard works, is it mind-numbingly dull. Its approach is not only scholarly but spiritual, almost meditative. It blends theology and Scripture and history and anthropology and law with deep pastoral concern, and is pleasantly spiced with gentle wit. It applies gentle reason to a subject that more than many requires it.Fr Gregory

Is that Fr. G of OJN? or another? In any case, thanks. You have captured exactly what I was attempting in this volume -- which is to get folks to go back to the text and tradition wrestle with them and their own preconceptions -- on all sides.

I have read most of it. Of course I tackle the whole thing with a considerably different mindset than the rest of you, but to my theologically unsophisticated but academically experienced view, it is a series of measured arguments that are presented with a strong internal logic that defeats the soundbite strategy employed elsewhere. It's bound to be useful, and to pay off "dipping into" as well.I'm certainly learning a lot.

In another age, we would simply have called Fr. Haller's work an example of theology of an Anglican sort. But I fear, we have grown accustomed to soundbites rather than substance, to singular frameworks rather than being opened into a vastly more multivalent universe.

Jr. that is in the hands of the publisher. I know one problem might be the layout of the book, which might not translate well to the Kindle format. But at Amazon, there is a button to select to send such requests to the publisher (I think that's how it works) and if enough requests come through it might happen. I think it would work better on the DX, which has a larger page size, and also allows native pdf viewing...

My Contribution to the Listening Process

"a book that honors the Word of God, the faith once delivered, and moves it into our cultural context."—The Episcopal New Yorker

"seeks to meet opponents on their own ground, assessing their arguments carefully and refuting them courteously.... The value ... lies not in its conclusions alone but chiefly in the way Haller reaches them. Whoever is charged with compiling ... resources [on same-sex relationships] will want to add this book to the list."— The Anglican Theological Review